Archive for October, 2016

District Court Judge Stephen Scott has sentenced Atkinson to 15 years’ jail. He made Atkinson eligible for parole after 13 years & imposed violence restraining order which prevents him from going near the victims.

Father who planned to make child pornography after daughter’s birth jailed

Updated 24 Jun 2016, 11:56am

A Brisbane father has been jailed for a minimum of two-and-a-half years after he sent ultrasound images of his unborn daughter to an undercover officer to show he intended to make child pornography when she was born.

Last week, the 25-year-old man pleaded guilty in Brisbane’s District Court to possessing child exploitation material and using a carriage service to access child pornography material.

The court heard the father was arrested in January 2015 by Australian Federal Police officers after a tip-off from the FBI in the United States.

The man sent an ultrasound of his unborn child and 12 images of child pornography to an undercover officer, saying he intended to make his own child pornography with his daughter.

Police found the man in possession of 6,435 images and videos of child exploitation material across three devices.

Some were of cartoons, but thousands were of actual children and babies.

The court had previously heard many of the children were showing signs of distress and pain.

Offender’s statements a ‘sign of moral corruption’

District Court Judge David Reid said it was the worst case of child exploitation material he had ever seen.

In sentencing, Judge Reid said the sending of the ultrasound image was not an offence but showed a “gross lack of insight”.

“The fact you were prepared to make such statements is a sign of the extent of your moral corruption and your lack of insight into the nature of child abuse,” he said.

He said the downloading and storing of the material was done so in a “sophisticated” way in different folders.

Judge Reid told the man that what he had described as his stated intentions with his daughter were “vile, explicit and specific”.

He said he was provided a sample of the material found on the devices owned by the man.

“The material you viewed, possessed and transmitted would be seen to be revolting and upsetting to normal people,” he said.

Judge Reid sentenced the man to five years’ jail, with a non-parole period of two-and-a-half years.

Man who downloaded 37,000 child porn images says he did not view them, asks not to be jailed

By Peta Carlyon

Posted 30 Aug 2016, 6:31am

The lawyer for a Hobart man who downloaded 37,000 child pornography images has called for him to be spared a prison term.

Antony Brown, formerly of Brighton, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Hobart to accessing and possessing the images between December 2012 and March 2015.

His lawyer Chris Gunson SC told the court the 68-year-old kept the hard drive in a cupboard for two and a half years and did not view the images.

Mr Gunson said his client was not part of a child exploitation group, and had been searching for adult pornography when he found the material online.

“Mr Brown was not just searching for child pornography … it came about by accident and then it was curiosity,” he said.

“He was not – for want of a better phrase – part of a paedophile ring … [and] it’s not suggested he took any steps to groom children of any age or was part of any chat rooms.”

Mr Gunson said it would be an imposition for the court to impose a prison term on his client, who was a UK citizen and would likely be forced to return there after he was sentenced.

“The consequences for someone who moved to Australia at 13, who’s lived almost his whole life as an Australian … to return to the United Kingdom will be an extraordinarily disruptive punishment to himself and his family,” he said.

“It will require Mr Brown to effectively start his life again.”

But Justice Michael Brett said although there were few images, some of them were of the worst category, involving the abuse of at least one infant, and it was in part irrelevant that Brown had not gone on to view the abuse.

“I would regard possession of those matters as a significantly aggravating factor,” Justice Brett said.

“It makes possession and access of that one item a serious matter.”

Mr Gunson told the court it was “a real sign of remorse” that Brown had taken voluntary steps to relocate back to the UK and avoid the cost of official deportation to taxpayers.

But Prosecutor Jackie Hartnett said moving to the other side of the world would allow Brown to “save face” and should not be viewed as a mitigating factor.

“When you start afresh in the UK, you’re not the person found with child exploitation material, you’re the new man on the block,” she said.

Ms Hartnett said if Brown’s home had been broken into and the hard drive stolen, there was no protection against the images entering the broader market and leading to further exploitation.

Black has been sentenced in Bunbury District Court by Judge Kevin Sleight, to a total of seven years and six months imprisonment. Judge Sleight discounted Black’s prison term by 25 per cent because of his early guilty pleas, which meant his victims had not had to testify. His sentence was backdated to December 12, 2016, which is when he declined to apply for bail, and instead remained in custody. He was made eligible for parole after five-and-a-half years.

Bunbury man, 72, pleads guilty to a total of 15 counts of child sex abuse

Ivy James

10 Oct 2016, 11:47 a.m.

A pedophile who has admitted to sexually abusing seven children between 1986 and 1993 will be sentenced in December after pleading guilty to 15 charges of indecent dealings.

On September 29, 72-year-old Clive William Black pleaded guilty to 14 counts of indecent dealings with six girls aged between eight and 14 between 1986 and 1993.

Black fronted Bunbury Magistrates Court again on Monday where he pleaded guilty to one further count of indecent dealing of a child under 14 years between June-December 1989, after a seventh victim came forward.

Police allege Black indecently assaulted three girls who were known to him through their parents, between 1986 and 1993. The girls were aged from eight to 14 at the time of the offences.

Black was also further charged with two counts of indecent treatment for assaulting a six-year-old, known to him through her parents, between 1990 and 1993.

Former Singleton primary school teacher has been convicted of indecently assaulting one of his students in 1989

Sam Rigney,Shannon Dann and Louise Nichols2 Oct 2016, 1:17 p.m.

A SINGLETON teacher who indecently assaulted one of his students in 1989 has been sentenced to an 18-month suspended jail term in Newcastle District Court.

Michael Patrick Beh appeared in court on Friday for sentencing after pleading guilty to one count of indecently assaulting a person under authority, which carries a maximum penalty of six years in jail.

Beh, now 62, was teaching a boy – then aged nine or 10 – when he placed his hand up the boy’s pants leg and fondled his genitalia, the court heard. Beh continued to teach at the school for more than 20 years before retiring.

“While the factual material contains some allegations that he touched the lad on more than one occasion there is but one count on the indictment and I am not entitled to take into account the other matters other than the point of view of saying that it can’t be said that this was a one-off offence,” Judge Roy Ellis said.

Judge Ellis said he was also required to sentence Beh in “accordance with the sentencing principles that existed in 1989”, when the sentencing regime was significantly more lenient.

“There is little room for personal deterrence, bearing in mind that he desisted voluntarily in his offending against this lad and has not re-offended in the last 27 years,” Mr Ellis said.

“Mr Beh in fact when first spoken to by the victim readily admitted his offence and apologised to his victim.

“When spoken to by the police he entered into an electronically recorded interview and made full admissions.

“That he readily acknowledged what he had done and apologised for it is not the normal course that these matters take.

“This is not an easy sentencing matter,” Judge Ellis said. “Because, on the one hand, sending this man into custody would certainly be a punishment to him.

“But on the other it seems to me to be in the long-term interests of the community to proceed in a way other than sending him into custody for a few months, that would only protect the community for the few months that he is in custody.

“If I place him on a suspended sentence for 18 months the community is likely to be protected for at least that period and, if in fact the rehabilitation is effective, the community would be protected for the balance of his life.”

The victim Tom* is now 37 years of age and, commenting on the sentencing, says he feels some relief that his abuser has, at long last, been convicted.

“Perhaps I would have preferred to have seen a custodial sentence but at least now his abuse is on the public record and I can hopefully move on with my life,” he said.

Tom first reported the matter to Police nine years ago.

However, after not getting much of a response, and learning Mr Beh had been elevated to the position of Deputy Principal at the school in 2012, he felt compelled get further legal advice.

Tom told The Singleton Argus at the time of the abuse he didn’t understand why this was happening to him.

“I just dreaded coming to school and was completely confused. Looking back now I can see he wanted me to be his best friend and used grooming methods so I wouldn’t tell anyone what he was doing to me,” he said.

“If it was happening to me it was probably happening to other students and that’s my biggest concern and fear.”

Eventually, Tom’s family moved away and that solved the immediate threat of abuse.

But, it didn’t solve the impact the abuse had on his life.

“It ate away at me for many years until I was falling apart, crying all the time not coping and then aged 25 I told my mother about the abuse and went to the police,” he said.

“Mum said she had noticed my personality had changed following the abuse she noticed I had become depressed but she was unsure what had caused the change or how to address the situation.”

Tragically for Tom, his original complaint made to Queensland Police because he was residing in that state was “lost” in the system.

Tom was frustrated and angered by the original police response because it’s their role to investigate claims of child abuse.

Tom’s decision to talk publicly about his abuse is to raise awareness especially locally about his abuser and remind people child sexual abuse is not confined to religious orders or never going to happen again.

“My abuser may be slightly inconvenienced by his conviction but my life has been blighted by his abuse,” he said.

Brookes has been found dead in his cell at Lithgow Correctional Centre. His death was “not believed to be suspicious” & is being investigated by Corrective Services NSW Investigation unit and police. A report will be given to the coroner.

UPDATED: APRIL 2017

Brookes has been jailed for a minimum of seven years. He was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years and six months’ prison. With time already served, he will be eligible for parole in 2023.

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An update for people who have any interest in the conviction of paedophile Allan Brookes.

This will be a long status and not a very nice one but one that is very important for anyone who may have had anything to do with this depraved monster.

On 28th September 2016, Allan Brookes was found guilty on 17 charges which include: 2 x counts aggravated sexual assault of a child under 16 6 x counts indecent assault of a child under 16 4 x counts committing act of indecency on a child under 16 5 x counts inciting act of indecency on a child under 16 Today, he has pleaded guilty to: 1 x count commit act of bestiality with animal namely a cow 2 x counts inciting act of bestiality towards a child under 16.

This child was aged between 13-15 at the time of the offences.

This monster will be sentenced in early December and we all hope he is locked away for a long, long time.

Brookes is already a convicted paedophile as he pleaded guilty in 1999 to numerous charges and served 18 months in prison. The original charges related to incidents in late 1980s and the latest convictions are from 2003 – 2005 so it makes you wonder what Brookes was up to in between all these times and now.

Brookes has lived in numerous places in this time, Gunnedah, Narrabri, Sawtell and Toormina, where he was living when arrested on latest charges.

Mongrels like this don’t just pick a few, they are depraved and they prey on innocent victims.

Please share this around so that if there are any other victims out there, they can maybe have some closure and bring this monster to justice. If you have any information, please contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

Listen to Ray Hadley interview a family member of one of his victims here.

A traumatised man who was forced to have sex with a cow as a child has told of how the horrific abuse destroyed his adult life.

His victim impact statement was read out in the Downing Centre District Court on Friday at the sentence hearing of Allan Kenneth Brookes.

In September, Brookes, 55, was found guilty of a string of child sex offences to the same victim, but also pleaded guilty to a bestiality charge.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the judge of the long-lasting effects of the abuse on all facets of his life, and his horror when Brookes’ arrest was reported in the local media and people assumed he was the victim.

“I received phone calls from work colleagues questioning me and people were mooing like a cow due to the nature of the charges,” he said.

The victim did not return to work after that.

“I was now unemployed and terrified of leaving the house”, he told the court.

The victim told of how the abuse turned him from a happy child into a “panic attack-prone loner who would leave class and hide in the bushes”.

As an adult, he said the abuse had destroyed his relationships, financial success, education, sexual functioning and mental health and pushed him into alcohol addiction.

His partner, who read the statement on his behalf, broke down as she described his detachment from their young son.